Hambletonian leads big Grand Circuit card at Meadowlands
August 2, 2017,by Paul Ramlow, publicity director, the Grand Circuit
This Week: Hambletonian, Hambletonian Oaks, John Cashman Memorial, Sam McKee Memorial, Lady Liberty, Dr. John Steele Memorial, Cane Pace, Shady Daisy, Peter Haughton Memorial, and Jim Doherty Memorial, Meadowlands Racetrack, East Rutherford, N.J.
Schedule of events: Grand Circuit action takes place this Saturday (Aug. 5) at Meadowlands Racetrack with one of the biggest Grand Circuit cards of the season.
The afternoon program is led by the $1.2 million Hambletonian, the first leg of trotting’s Triple Crown for 3-year-olds. Other major stakes races to be contested that day are the $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks for 3-year-old filly trotters, the $303,050 John Cashman Memorial for older trotters, the $224,400 Sam McKee Memorial for older pacers, the $202,900 Lady Liberty for older pacing mares, the $176,250 Dr. John Steele Memorial for older trotting mares, the $334,325 Cane Pace, the first leg of Pacing’s Triple Crown for 3-year-olds, the $113,950 Shady Daisy for 3-year-old pacing fillies, the $360,650 Peter Haughton Memorial for 2-year-old colt trotters, and the $330,800 Jim Doherty Memorial for 2-year-old filly trotters.
Complete entries for the races are available at this link.
Last time: Fear The Dragon, harness racing’s top-rated horse, cemented that position Saturday (July 29) at The Meadows when he wore down the sport’s No. 2-ranked horse, Huntsville, with a prolonged, dramatic first-over move that brought him victory in the $400,000 final of the 51st Delvin Miller Adios Pace for the Orchids.
Heavy rains that had soaked The Meadows for the better part of two days stopped shortly before the card began, yielding to sunny, cool weather and a fast track for the highly anticipated battle of No. 1 and No. 2. Early on, it appeared that drama might not develop as Huntsville and Tim Tetrick got an easier lead than most observers anticipated.
Fear The Dragon was fifth down the backside when David Miller felt compelled to put the son of Dragon Again-Armbro Cinnamon into the race.
Fear The Dragon steadily erased the five length deficit until the final turn, when it briefly seemed he had hit the wall. But Fear The Dragon spurted again and caught Huntsville in the shadow of the wire, downing him by a half-length in 1:49.1, with RJP third.
It was the first Adios victory for trainer Brian Brown, the third for driver Miller, who won previously with Shadow Play (2008) and McWicked (2014). With the win, Fear The Dragon became a millionaire, boosting his career bankroll to $1,152,844 for Bruce Trogdon’s Emerald Highlands Farm.
Complete recaps of all the weekend races are available at the Grand Circuit website.
Grand Circuit Standings: In 2017, the Grand Circuit leaders in three categories (driver, trainer and owner) will once again be tracked on a points system (20-10-5 for the top three finishers in divisions/finals and 10-5-2 for the top three finishers in eliminations/legs). Winbak Farms is the sponsor for the 2017 Grand Circuit awards.
Here are the leaders through and including the races on July 29.
Drivers: 1. Yannick Gingras – 503; 2. David Miller – 454; 3. Tim Tetrick – 353; 4. Scott Zeron – 290; 5. Jason Bartlett – 238.
Trainers: 1. Ron Burke – 480; 2. Jimmy Takter – 300; 3. Brian Brown – 190; 4. Ray Schnittker – 167; 5. Rene Allard – 159.
Owners: 1. Emerald Highlands Farm – 125; 2. Harry von Knoblauch Stable – 123.5; 3. Burke Racing Stable – 107; 4. Weaver Bruscemi – 85.4; 5. J&T Silva Stables – 83.
Looking ahead: Grand Circuit action will be taking place next week at Northfield Park with the Carl Milstein Memorial for 3-year-old pacers; at Hoosier Park with the Dan Patch for free for all pacers; at the Indiana State Fair with the Fox Stakes highlighting 10 stakes; and at Red Shores Racetrack with Gold Cup and Saucer eliminations.
- Nineteen enter Hambletonian; Ariana G stays in Oaks filly division (Tuesday, August 01, 2017)
Nineteen 3-year-old trotters entered Tuesday for the $1 million Hambletonian, to be raced Saturday (Aug. 5) at The Meadowlands Racetrack. Though the connections of sophomore filly Ariana G had considered racing against the colts, they eventually opted to remain in the $500,000 distaff division of the Hambletonian.
- Post positions drawn for $1.2 million Hambletonian (Tuesday, August 01, 2017)
International Moni and Devious Man on Tuesday were made morning-line favorites for their respective eliminations in Saturday’s $1.2 million Hambletonian Stakes for 3-year-old trotters at the Meadowlands Racetrack.
- Cane Pace leads Hambletonian Day undercard (Tuesday, August 01, 2017)
The $334,325 Cane Pace, first leg of Pacing’s Triple Crown, is also raced on the Hambo Day card and drew a dozen entrants.
- Right horse, right time (Wednesday, August 02, 2017)
It was two years ago during a dinner in Lexington when trainer Frank Antonacci and driver Scott Zeron first discussed the idea of Zeron wearing the Antonacci family’s Lindy Farms colors sometime in the future. Antonacci and Zeron both thought it would be a fun idea with the right horse at the right time. International Moni proved to be the right horse. The Hambletonian Stakes trail proved to be the right time. And on Saturday, Zeron will put aside his own blue, white and red colors for the black, blue and white of Lindy Farms and sit behind International Moni in the first of two $100,000 Hambletonian eliminations as the 5-2 morning-line favorite at the Meadowlands Racetrack in New Jersey.
- Millers hope to be on winning side in this year’s Hambletonian (Wednesday, August 02, 2017)
Andy Miller knows how it feels to come within a neck of winning the Hambletonian Stakes. This year, he hopes to experience victory. Miller drives Devious Man in Saturday’s $1.2 million Hambletonian for 3-year-old trotters at the Meadowlands. The colt, trained by Miller’s wife, Julie, is the 5-2 morning-line favorite in the second of two $100,000 eliminations. The top-five finishers from each elimination return later in the day for the $1 million final.
- Melander pair are ready for Hambletonian (Thursday, August 03, 2017)
Marcus Melander has never won a Hambletonian but the 25-year-old trainer has the essence of Hambo greatness surrounding his entire being. And while the Swede does not have a favorite in Saturday’s $1.2 million Hambletonian Stakes for 3-year-olds at the Meadowlands, he does have a Tim Tetrick-driven horse in each elimination getting pretty good odds. In the 10-horse division (race nine), Enterprise is 9/2, while in the nine-horse division (race eight), Long Tom is at 3/1 odds.
- ‘A dream come true’ for Doug Paul (Thursday, August 03, 2017)
After four decades in the harness racing business, Doug Paul and his family will see a dream come true Saturday when Bill’s Man races in the $1.2 million Hambletonian Stakes at the Meadowlands Racetrack. Bill’s Man will be the Pauls’ first starter in the sport’s premier race for 3-year-old trotters, the Hambletonian. If that were not enough, the Pauls also will make their first appearance in the $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks, for 3-year-old female trotters, with Fine Tuned Lady.
- Seven And Seven, Jake could carry drivers to first Hambo crowns (Thursday, August 03, 2017)
Saturday’s (Aug. 5) two Hambletonian elimination races include two horses with identical morning-line odds and a driver on each looking for their first Hambo crown ever. The 8-1 shot Seven And Seven, driven by Mark MacDonald and trained by Tom Durand, will leave from post two in a field of 10 in the Hambletonian’s second elimination heat (race nine). While Jake also at 8-1, could bear Dan Dube to the winner’s circle from post nine in the first heat (race eight).
- Butenschoen looks for big day on Saturday at Meadowlands (Friday, August 04, 2017)
Coming off a career year, trainer John Butenschoen might be on his way to a career day. Butenschoen’s stable will start three horses in Saturday’s $1.2 million Hambletonian Stakes at the Meadowlands Racetrack, plus one horse in the $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks. This year, Butenschoen has contenders Bill’s Man and Giveitgasandgo in the first of two $100,000 Hambletonian eliminations. Dover Dan is his stable’s hopeful in the second division. Soon after the eliminations, Butenschoen will send Fine Tuned Lady into the Hambletonian Oaks.
- Lorentzon hopes to spring upsets with Guardian Angel AS and Southwind Avanti (Friday, August 04, 2017)
Despite not possessing sterling resumes or bulging bank accounts, Anette Lorentzon has faith that Guardian Angel AS, her first $1.2 million Hambletonian contestant, and Southwind Avanti, the second filly she has entered in the $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks, will be a great source of pride after their appearances on Saturday (Aug. 5) at the Meadowlands.
- Taking a look at possible challengers in Oaks (Friday, August 04, 2017)
While eyes at Saturday’s $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks for 3-year-old female trotters at the Meadowlands will likely be trained on morning-line favorite Ariana G and second choice Magic Presto, fans might want to use their peripheral vision to check out a few other possible challengers with upsets on their mind.
- Hambletonian alumni join festivities (Friday, August 04, 2017)
In addition to the race on the track, Hambletonian Day is a chance to salute champions of days gone by.